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December 23, 2012

Filthy Review - 'Total Recall'

Total Recall
(2012)

Review by Jude
Felton

Ah, another
day, another remake, and more often than not another reason, as if any were
needed, for the masses to cry heresy. Without reference to this film, just yet,
the originals aren’t always the best; if they were we’d all be driving Model T
Ford’s right about now. In all seriousness though, stop putting the money in
the studios coffers if you don’t want to see more remakes. Even the biggest box
office flop takes in more money than the most successful independent film.
Harsh but true. As for original movies; folk just aren’t plonking their
collective asses down at the theaters to see them. It would appear that the
masses are content with remakes, sequels and adaptations. At the time of
writing this review at least 6 movies in the current top 10 are either
adaptations or part of a franchise (or sequel), with one re-release in 3D.
Someone is paying to see these films.

Anyhoo, the
high horse has now been dismounted from, and we can move on to the case in
hand; Len Wiseman’s take on Total Recall, which is a remake of the 1990 movie
of the same name which was directed by Paul Verhoeven (itself an adaptation of
a Philip K. Dick short story). That was a damned fun movie, with Schwarzenegger,
Sharon Stone and Michael Ironside all heating up the Martian landscape. It was renowned
for its excellent practical effects, among other things. It was a good to
honest fun flick.

Total Recall
2012 is a different kettle of fish entirely; it’s still a fun, if slightly too
long, slice of cinematic mayhem, but the practical effects are long gone and
this is more of a non-stop action-fest with little room for subtlety. In other
words, on the surface, it is perfect for the modern movie-going public. I say
on the surface as the plot is still probably a little too deep for those that
aren’t willing to invest a little concentration into it.

The film
follows Doug Quaid, a simple factory worker that is plagued by strange dreams,
who is not really content on where his life is going. Sure, he is happily
married, but does he want to be stuck in the monotony of his current job for
the rest of his life?

This all changes
when he pays a visit to ReKall, a company that can implant new memories for you
to enjoy; Quaid’s choice being that of a spy. Then, the shit hits the fan, and
we are plunged into a plot in which Quaid is forced to question who he really
is. What are his connections to the ruthless Cohaagen? To the terrorist attacks
that plague the city? And just who is that strange girl in his dreams?

It might
sound complicated, but I assure you that it really isn’t. Yes, you do need to
pay attention to what is going on, but for the most part Wiseman is just
content to throw heaps of action sequences at you, and some very cool ones at
that. Visually, Total Recall is quite stunning to look at, the futuristic
United Federation of Britain and The Colony both being brought to stunning
life. There was a little too much lense flare going on, but the effects overall
were pretty damned good.

Total Recall
isn’t a film that is going to offer up much in the way of subtlety or depth,
and some characters flit in and out of the film without a second thought. I was
looking forward to seeing Bill Nighy, but I blinked and almost missed him.
Colin Farrell does a decent job as Quaid, and is on screen almost throughout,
and Kate Beckingsale looks good kicking ass again. Jessica Biel and Bryan
Cranston were slightly underused, but still put in good performances for what
the script offered them. Overall, the cast can only work with what they are
given, and here they just roll with the blows, and gunfire, and explosions.

Hell, Total
Recall was big dumb fun, and I am sure many people will hate it, but I enjoyed
most of it. It looked and sounded great on Blu-ray, and Sony have given us a
really sweet release with the 3 disc Extended Director’s Cut; which incidentally
runs 20 minutes longer than the Theatrical Cut. There’s also a ton of extras
included here, which make it good value for money in my eyes.

Total Recall
isn’t going to change the face of film, but it was enjoyable eye (and ear)
candy that I was not in the least bit angry with.

2 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Thank you for posting your review, Lord of Filth. I watched it on Friday night. I ordered it through DISHOnline.com right before leaving my office at DISH. It was downloaded to my Hopper DVR before I even got home, and I was able to watch it right away. I think that I may have liked this movie more if it had gone with a different title, maybe that of Dick’s original work. Sadly, having the name Total Recall meant that I would spend the whole movie comparing it to the film that I have loved since I was a child. This Total Recall was a solid action film, but in no way does it stand up to Arnold’s film.